A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Dance: From Improvisation to Choreography

A1.3 A2.3About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can improvise movement in response to prompts (words, images, sounds and effort qualities).
I can select, refine and set improvised movement into a phrase I can repeat.
I can describe my strengths and areas for growth as a choreographer and as an audience member.

Words to know

improvise
To make up movement on the spot, without planning it first.

guided improvisation
Improvising while following prompts or rules from a leader, such as "move only your elbows" or "travel like melting snow".

choreography
Planned, set movement that can be repeated the same way.

choreographer
A person who creates and arranges dances.

effort quality
The way energy is used in a movement, described by action words such as flick, poke, stab, fold or flow freely.

refine
To improve something by making small changes so it is clearer and more precise.

Remember from earlier grades

In Grade 4 you used efforts like punch, float and explode. In Grade 5 you used the creative process to turn ideas into sequences, and you reflected on your strengths and areas for growth.

This lesson is about how many choreographers start a dance: not by planning every step, but by improvising, playing with movement, and then keeping the best parts.

What is guided improvisation?

When you improvise, you make up movement on the spot. In guided improvisation, someone gives you prompts (instructions) that point your exploring in one direction. The prompts help you find movements you would never think of by sitting and planning.

Prompts can be:

Words: crumple, scatter, melt, shiver, soar.
Body limits: move only your head and one hand; keep one knee on the floor.
Images: a leaf caught in a November wind; a melting icicle.
Sounds or music: move only when the music plays; freeze in the silence.
Effort qualities: flick, fold, stab, poke, flow freely.

Effort quality	What it feels like	Try it
flick	light, quick, flexible, like brushing a crumb away	flick your fingers off your shoulder, then your foot off the floor
poke	quick, direct and pointed, using a small part like a fingertip or elbow	poke holes in the air around you
stab	strong, sudden and direct, straight to one point	stab one arm forward and freeze
fold	the body closes in on itself, bending at the joints	fold slowly into a small shape, then unfold
flow freely	smooth and continuous, with no stops	let your arms keep moving like water without stopping

Effort qualities describe how energy is used. They are part of the element of energy.

From improvisation to choreography

Improvisation is the starting point. Choreography is the finished, repeatable dance. To get from one to the other, choreographers go through these steps:

Explore: improvise to a prompt. Try many ideas. No idea is wrong.
Select: choose the movements that best fit your idea. A phone video (with permission) or quick notes help you remember.
Refine: make each movement clearer. Decide the exact level, direction, speed and energy.
Set: put it in order and practise until you can do it the same way every time, on counts.
Reflect: show it, get feedback, and go back to explore again if needed.

The steps from improvisation to choreography. Reflecting often sends you back to explore again.

Worked example

Example: Let's turn an improvisation into a phrase

Prompt: You are a snowflake in a storm that finally lands. Maya improvises for one minute. Here is what she tried. Let's select, refine and set it.

Explore (what she tried): spinning, a fast zigzag run, flicking her fingers, poking in all directions, a fold down to the floor, a jump, a slow melt, rolling.
Select: she keeps the flicks (light snowflake), the zigzag run (wind), and the slow fold to the floor (landing). She drops the jump and the roll because they don't fit the idea.
Refine: flicks at a high level with both hands, for 4 counts; zigzag run in 3 sharp changes of direction, 8 counts; fold down over 8 slow counts, ending in a small, still shape.
Set: she practises it three times with counts until it is the same every time: 4 + 8 + 8 = 20 counts.
Reflect: her brother says the landing was the clearest part. Maya decides the zigzag run could have more contrast in speed.

Maya's improvisation became a 20-count set phrase: flicks (4 counts), zigzag run (8 counts), slow fold (8 counts). She kept only what fit the idea and refined each part so it can be repeated.

Maya's snowflake dance: she explored eight ideas, selected three that fit, then refined and set them into a phrase she can repeat: 4 + 8 + 8 = 20 counts.

Growing as a choreographer and an audience member

After you create, take time to reflect. Name what went well and what you will work on next. Be specific: "My transitions were smooth" is better than "It was good."

As a choreographer, you might reflect on: Did I explore many ideas? Did I choose movements that fit my idea? Can I repeat my phrase exactly? Did I use contrast?

As an audience member, you might reflect on: Did I watch the whole piece with focus? Did I give feedback that was kind, specific and helpful? Did I use dance words?

Worked example

Example: Let's write a reflection with a goal

Write a reflection after making the snowflake phrase.

Strength (be specific): I used two contrasting effort qualities (light flicks and a slow fold) and my landing was slow and controlled.
Area for growth: My zigzag run was the same speed all the way through, so it didn't look like a storm.
Next step (a goal I can act on): Next time I will add a sudden speed-up and a freeze to make the storm more exciting.
As an audience member: When I watched my sister's dance, I told her one thing I liked and asked a question, instead of just saying "cool".

A strong reflection names a specific strength, a specific area for growth, and a next step, using dance words.

Just for fun

Improviser's secret: if you trip by accident, do it again on purpose. Now it's a motif!

Hands-on activity

Improvisation jar

You need: small slips of paper, a jar or bowl, a pencil, music you like (optional), and a clear space. Safety: clear a space, move breakable things and slippery rugs away, and dance in bare feet or non-slip socks.

Write prompts on slips: five action words (flick, poke, stab, fold, flow freely, crumple, scatter...), three images (a maple seed spinning down, a melting snowman, a busy subway platform), and three body limits (only elbows, one foot always on the floor, stay at a low level).
Pull out one image and one action word. Improvise for 60 seconds. Have a grown-up call "freeze!" a few times so you notice interesting shapes.
Select your three best moments. Refine them: decide level, speed and energy.
Set them into a 16- or 24-count phrase. Practise until it's the same three times in a row.
Reflect: write one strength, one area for growth and one next step.

Your turn

What does it mean to improvise?

What makes improvisation guided?

Put these steps in order: Set, Explore, Refine, Select, Reflect.

Show the difference between flick and stab with one arm.

Why do choreographers set a phrase?

Rewrite this reflection to make it specific: My dance was good.

More practice: warm-up

What is a choreographer?

Name three kinds of improvisation prompts.

Which effort quality is smooth and continuous with no stops?

What does refine mean?

Is it okay to try ideas that don't work when you improvise?

More practice: on your own

Prompt: move only your elbows and knees. Why might a choreographer give a body limit like this?

Liam improvised 12 different movements for a busy subway platform. How should he decide which ones to keep?

Refine this movement description: move arms around a bit.

Write a strength and an area for growth for yourself as an audience member.

Why might a choreographer go back to exploring after showing a phrase?

Challenge

Design a guided improvisation for a younger child on the theme spring thaw. Write four prompts in order, and say what kind of movement each should bring out.

Compare improvised movement and set choreography. Give one advantage of each for a performance.

Write a full reflection (strength, area for growth, next step) on a phrase you made today, using at least three dance words.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Improvising means ___.

Which step comes right after exploring?

Which effort quality is strong, sudden and direct?

A set phrase is one that ___.

Which reflection is the most specific?

"Move only your elbows and knees" is an example of ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Students use guided improvisation in a variety of ways as a starting point for choreography (A1.3) and identify and give examples of their strengths and areas for growth as choreographers and audience members (A2.3).

How to help at home:

Be the "guide": call out prompts ("melt like snow", "only your elbows", "freeze!").
With permission, a short phone video helps your child remember the best moments of an improvisation. Delete it afterward if your family prefers.
Help your child make reflections specific: "What exactly went well? What will you change next time?"

Safety: clear a space, move breakable things and slippery rugs away, and dance in bare feet or non-slip socks.

Common difficulties:

Shyness about improvising. Join in! Turn off the lights or face away from each other at first. Short times (30 seconds) feel less scary.
Forgetting the improvised moves. Write three key words right away, or record with permission.
Vague reflections. Use the frame: "One strength was ___. I will work on ___. Next time I will ___."